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On this day in Alabama history: Charles D. Kochakian was born in Massachusetts

By Graydon RustAlabama 200

November 18, 2017

Biomedical researcher Charles D. Kochakian (1908-1999) was a pioneer in the development of anabolic steroids and research into the connection between testosterone and muscle mass. He spent 20 years working on his research at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's medical complex. (From Encyclopedia of Alabama, photo courtesy of the National Institutes of Health)

November 18, 1908

Scientist Charles D. Kochakian was born in Massachusetts. A pioneer in the field of endocrinology, Kochakian worked as a professor of biochemistry and physiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham for more than 40 years. He is best known for discovering the connection between the male hormone testosterone and muscle mass, for research on the relationship between growth hormones and cancer, and for the development of anabolic steroids. Kochakian later served as a consultant for numerous companies, including the World Wrestling Foundation. He is honored by awards established in his name by the University of Rochester and the University of Alabama to fund medical research.